Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

In an ESPN article i read it says Ashley has a policy not to pay more than 9.5M for a player. Is that true? because it's insane if it is.

From what I've read Ashley has a sell to buy policy in place.Despite 100 Million coming in from TV deals, Benitez as to sell players to fund transfers.Up until this season they had to buy young players that would be sold at a profit later.This season that part has been rolled back but they sell have to sell in order to buy. Farcical for a club of that size but something Benitez is used to from his time at LFC.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

surprised one of the Toon faithful hasn't been parading around in a shirt with "Fraser 90" on the back of it. What on Earth will Ashley do with H.o.F it is completely the opposite end of the retail market compared to Sports Direct. Get out Rafa whilst you can.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

surprised one of the Toon faithful hasn't been parading around in a shirt with "Fraser 90" on the back of it. What on Earth will Ashley do with H.o.F it is completely the opposite end of the retail market compared to Sports Direct. Get out Rafa whilst you can.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

From what I've read Ashley has a sell to buy policy in place.Despite 100 Million coming in from TV deals, Benitez as to sell players to fund transfers.Up until this season they had to buy young players that would be sold at a profit later.This season that part has been rolled back but they sell have to sell in order to buy. Farcical for a club of that size but something Benitez is used to from his time at LFC.

Rafa having to sell in order to buy is irrelevant. If he sells 3 players and gets 30 million, can he then use that money to buy a 30M player or is it true that he'd only be able to spend up to 9.5M on one?

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

Rafa having to sell in order to buy is irrelevant. If he sells 3 players and gets 30 million, can he then use that money to buy a 30M player or is it true that he'd only be able to spend up to 9.5M on one?

Of course it matters. Saying that, Muto was only 9.5 Million.

It matters in the context of the teams around them having a net spend of between 50-100 million,while Newcastle turned a profit in the Summer transfer window.

Surely we, as LFC fans, should be empathetic when it comes to understanding the need for squad investment.

Mike Ashley gambling massively with Newcastle's PL future by not investing to give Rafa the tools to work with.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

everyone knows newcastle dont spend. I just dont get why he complains so much. Just get on with it, say ur going to do the best u can and take the plaudits for doing well with a low budget.

I dont think their first team is THAT bad. I just dont get why managers (not just rafa) complain about lack of funds. The situation is clear for everyone. So why keep harping on about the obvious?

It's the usual circus every transfer window. As he said at the weekend, he's a "fighter". And he picks his fights, usually ill advised, and usually ending up on the losing side. Spurs made zero signings during the summer. Instead of fighting his boss in public, Maurice says he's happy with what he has.

Rafa took that job knowing what the owner is like, knowing how badly it's run, and he could have walked at any point. But no, he chose to stay on and "fight". Ashley put it up for sale 10 years ago. Even DIC couldn't be bothered enough to buy it.

It's (about) 10 years since we were told, that we can't compete against the mancs because they have more revenue from home games. They may still do, however our coach now wants to turn us from doubters to believers. So we are competing against them, and Benitez is now competing against the drop.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

It's (about) 10 years since we were told, that we can't compete against the mancs because they have more revenue from home games. They may still do, however our coach now wants to turn us from doubters to believers. So we are competing against them, and Benitez is now competing against the drop.

Bit of a stretch comparing Mourinho's miserable mutants to the manc team under Ferguson, Rafa had to compete with, no?

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

Rafa would have every reason to moan today that was as bad a performance I have seen in the EPL. Kennedy did not make a single pass to a team mate in the first half. Manquillo (remember him) was taken off at half time as he was on a yellow and having a nightmare so his replacement lasted about 20 mins and was sent off. The to cap it all off Kennedy missed a penalty at the end of the most awful game of football you could imagine. Didn't someone post Newcastle had a decent side.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

2-0 Down at home to Arsenal...Could be gone by Jan.. If not he will walk away season end..

Had sh*t luck with owners..

Calm down, 4 of their 5 games have been Spurs, Chelsea, City and Arsenal. All of them teams are significantly stronger and should be looking to beat virtually every team in the league. The fact that they lost all of them games by a 1 goal margain, with a squad that has a lot of injuries and half fit players is dam good going. 2 of their next 3 games they have Leicester and the Mancs, I don’t think there is a team in a while that has had a fixture list as bad as that to start the season. Around game 9 is when you’d expect them to start picking up some wins.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

Calm down, 4 of their 5 games have been Spurs, Chelsea, City and Arsenal. All of them teams are significantly stronger and should be looking to beat virtually every team in the league. The fact that they lost all of them games by a 1 goal margain, with a squad that has a lot of injuries and half fit players is dam good going. 2 of their next 3 games they have Leicester and the Mancs, I don’t think there is a team in a while that has had a fixture list as bad as that to start the season. Around game 9 is when you’d expect them to start picking up some wins.

When did losing become a damn good thing? Yes, their schedule has been tough but Watford beat Spurs, so why can't Newcastle scratch out a draw against them at home? or beat Cardiff? I don't blame Rafa as that team appears to be a sh*t show from up top but let's be honest, that is a horrific start.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

When did losing become a damn good thing? Yes, their schedule has been tough but Watford beat Spurs, so why can't Newcastle scratch out a draw against them at home? or beat Cardiff? I don't blame Rafa as that team appears to be a sh*t show from up top but let's be honest, that is a horrific start.

Don’t take my post out of context..Damn good going to have lost by 1 goal because it could have been much worse because like I said, the state of their squad. But to be honest you’ve answered your own question.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

I don't know if it is such a bad start given what Rafa is aiming for, which is bbviously survival and progression as a team. Newcastle have not been taken apart yet. This may be because the opposition didn't need to but I think Newcastle will put the results in perspective.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

I suppose it's a bit different than the table and lamp scenario, but not by much.

You do realise there is a difference between what an owner does in his professional day job and what he does in the club don't you, why on earth should Ashley pump his own money into the club, would you do that if you were in his position and if you did how would you explain it to your shareholders and family?

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

You do realise there is a difference between what an owner does in his professional day job and what he does in the club don't you, why on earth should Ashley pump his own money into the club, would you do that if you were in his position and if you did how would you explain it to your shareholders and family?

He doesn't have to pump his own money in.The issue Newcastle have is he doesn't even pump in the money generated from TV Rights.Players in are being covered by player sales, and even then they are in profit.

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

He doesn't have to pump his own money in.The issue Newcastle have is he doesn't even pump in the money generated from TV Rights.Players in are being covered by player sales, and even then they are in profit.

It's fair to say Rafa has been exploited by his last 3 clubs..Low spend but expectations were winning titles..

Chelsea where he did a 6 month stint saw him lift the UEFA Cup & qualify for CL spot when they looked like imploding..

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

It's fair to say Rafa has been exploited by his last 3 clubs..Low spend but expectations were winning titles..

Chelsea where he did a 6 month stint saw him lift the UEFA Cup & qualify for CL spot when they looked like imploding..

Given the right environment the man would deliver trophies..

What is the "Right Environment"..?? Napoli, Inter,Real, Valencia, Liverpool...??He spend most of his time at these clubs constantly moaning about not been given enough money to buy the players he wanted, and when he was given the money wasting huge chucks of it on players he then claimed he did not want ...Inter sacked him partly for trying the same thing directly after they won the Super Cup...

Chelsea was always a standing job, but i have no doubt had he been given the role on a permanent basis he would have done the same, claimed that he was not being given the money to spend on players he wanted, until the Roman go rid. Hence the reason he took the role at Newcastle, no team top wanted him, he had to gamble on taking a lower club, hoping he could bring them success and in the meantime rescue his flagging managerial career

Re: Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

Chelsea where he did a 6 month stint saw him lift the UEFA Cup & qualify for CL spot when they looked like imploding..

They didn't. They looked like they would go out of the European Cup at the group phase, and the owner acted as he usually does when that is at risk. Conte was the latest to pay the price for it.

His weekly park the bus shows has won the grand total of 0 games so far. He really doesn't have to be that conservative, seriously. They have some ability and have shown what they do have, when Plan A goes wrong and the bus then has to start crossing the halfway line. Then when they get something, the bus is firmly parked back in it's original space again. Seriously, I would hate to have to watch that muck week in week out. 6 years was more than long enough.

10 years ago this weekend, I sat through a rotten, sterile, borefest at home to Stoke, like the rest of us. If they were playing til now, it would still be 0-0. After the West Ham borefest a few weeks later, the fans who turned up made their feelings about what they had to sit through, loud and clear. We fell 4 points short in the end, there they are.

Today, it's Newcastle fans who have to put up with his idea of "controlling the game". They once got Dalglish fired because his football wasn't considered fun enough, so they're mad to put up with that useless, unsuccessful, 19% possession football now imo.